Natural Remedies

Interests:I love to cook and try new and different recipes. I adore animals of all kinds. Music is another great love of mine. Paranormal and metaphysical subjects of all kinds. Nature, drawing and painting, writing, photography, reading. I am learning how to knit...but I'm not very good at it. The list is endless. The one thing that I don't have a big love for is sports. I wish I could like it, but just can't get into it for some reason.

Posted 23 October 2005 - 10:52 AM

Hi All,

I was just wondering if any of you had any natural remedies for bronchitis. My dad has a severe case right now. The doctor put him on Prednisone and Advair and it doesn't seem to be working. He has a lot of gurgling which is keeping him awake at night and driving him nuts. Of course things always get worse on a Sunday, but he doesn't want to go to the emergency room. He is planning on getting in touch with his doctor tomorrow. In the meantime, I've been trying to alleviate his discomfort. I boiled a huge pot of water and simmered all kinds of herbs i.e. Rosemary Leaves, Sage, Thyme, Cayenne Pepper and Garlic and made him sit over the pot with a towel over his head. Then I made him Garlic Tea. I don't know what the heck I'm doing, I feel like a mad scientist.

Have any of you have bronchitis that was helped by natural remedies and if so, could you share it with me? I would appreciate it.

Thanks,
Cyn

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars, you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

If there is a gurgling sound, it may have progressed to pneumonia. Happened to me once.
Add eucalyptus the water. The eucalyptus will help with the cough, though he made need to cough out the mucus before trying to relieve the cough.
Have him take a HOT HOT shower (hot as he can stand it). It will make the cough more productive, and I find it easier to cough things out in the shower (totally grosses me out and I use the water to rinse it out of my mouth).
I would also recommend a tea of sage, eucalyptus, peppermint, dried elderflowers.
Make sure he drinks lots of fluids (water, herbal teas, broth). Here are a few recipes for cold remedies:
Relieve congestion with essential oils
1.5 qt. boiling water
2 drops tea tree essential oil
2 drops eucalyptus oil

I don't know how many of these things you have readily available or on hand, but they are good to have around with cold season approaching.
Also check you grocery store. If they have a natural foods section, there should be bagged tea (medicinal). I know my grocery store carries medicinal teas, and there should be one for cold relief. Hope these hold him over until it is time for the dr!

Boston, you know we love you madly,Hear the crowd roar to your sound,Don't blame us if we ever doubt you,You know we couldn't live without you, Tessie, you are the only only only (RED SOX YOU ARE THE ONLY ONES)~Dropkick Murphys

Interests:I love to cook and try new and different recipes. I adore animals of all kinds. Music is another great love of mine. Paranormal and metaphysical subjects of all kinds. Nature, drawing and painting, writing, photography, reading. I am learning how to knit...but I'm not very good at it. The list is endless. The one thing that I don't have a big love for is sports. I wish I could like it, but just can't get into it for some reason.

Posted 23 October 2005 - 02:16 PM

Hi Angelina,

Thank you for the tips. He seems to be getting worse, so we just placed a call in to the doctor. We are waiting for a response. It looks like it may be another night in the Emergency Room, or hospital stay. Enough is enough already. Between him and me, we are taking turns. Is there ever any good news these days?

Enough of that. How are you feeling? When is your due date? It should be pretty soon. You must be so excited. Keep me posted!

Thanks,
Cyn

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars, you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

I'm sorry to hear he's taken a turn for the worse. Maybe the doctor will just give him a script for antibiotics over the phone.
I am doing pretty well, thanks..Due date is Jan. 9. A little tired, but other than that, things are great! Anxiously awaiting her arrival!! I feel like I have been pregnant forever! After seeing Duke's little angel, I am even MORE impatient!! But it will be well worth the wait!

Boston, you know we love you madly,Hear the crowd roar to your sound,Don't blame us if we ever doubt you,You know we couldn't live without you, Tessie, you are the only only only (RED SOX YOU ARE THE ONLY ONES)~Dropkick Murphys

I was raised on ginger-root / lemon grass tea sweetened with honey. Whenever I feel anything coming on, I take vitamin C, zinc, and L-Lysine in addition to my regular daily vitamins.

When sick it is very easy to become dehydrated (which actually worsens the phlem situation). Gatorade or Powerade are some of the best remedies for this condition (my doctor once told me how much salt and sugar to add to water for homemade sports drink, but I've lost that paper).

As for humidifiers, you want to use the aromatic haerbs and spices. Peppermint or eucalyptus are the most popular in vapor rubs. I'd compliment them out with something citrus or floral.

Do not burn incense or candles (the fine smoke / ash could aggrevate his lungs), but using a candle warmer may work (especially peppermint or cinnamon).

Mullein tea is very good for an expectorant. You can usually find it in a health food store. You must steep the leaves for 30 minutes. Check with the doctor first, though, to make sure it won't interfere with any other meds he is taking. (But be warned, docs hate natural remedies). Echinacea and zinc are great for boosting the immune system, too.

I know what makes me feel better when I have bronchitis is moist heat on my chest. It relaxes the muscles and helps with the soreness caused by the coughing and congestion. Also, Sudafed has a new product out that is a tablet you put in the floor of your shower; the hot water melts it and releases medicated vapors that work with the hot water and steam to sooth congestion. Mucinex is also supposed to be a pretty good OTC, although if you're trying to go all-natural, I'm not sure if you'd want to try it.

Interests:I love to cook and try new and different recipes. I adore animals of all kinds. Music is another great love of mine. Paranormal and metaphysical subjects of all kinds. Nature, drawing and painting, writing, photography, reading. I am learning how to knit...but I'm not very good at it. The list is endless. The one thing that I don't have a big love for is sports. I wish I could like it, but just can't get into it for some reason.

Posted 25 October 2005 - 07:00 PM

Thank you one and all for all of your helpful remedies. I will keep them on file for the future. Right now, dad is in the hospital. We went to the ER on Sunday afternoon and he was diagnosed with pneumonia. He could barely breathe. They put him on 2 antibiotics intravenously (Rocephin and Zithromax), he is using a nebulizer which is helping him to bring up all of that gunk. He is definitely breathing easier and his CAT-SCAN showed nothing other than pnemonia thank goodness. My dad's lungs have always been an issue. He served in the Air Force during the Korean war and was stationed in England. While there, he contracted TB and had a portion of his lung removed. He was in the VA hospital for a year. His lungs have always been sensitive, but more so now that he is getting older.

I am going to try to help him build up his immune system when he gets home so this doesn't happen again, especially now that the flu season is upon us. He had the vaccine, but they say that it is not alway insurance against the flu.

Anyway, thank you for caring...and like I said, I will document all of your remedies and keep them in mind for the long winter ahead!

God Bless,
Cyn

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars, you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Glad to hear your Dad got treatment. Zithromax tends to work well, so hopefully he will have a speedy recovery.
As for the rest of the winter, since he has already contracted pneumonia, he will probably be even more suceptible to lung infections. I would start treatments as soon as he even shows signs of a cold, to be safe.
If you use a vaporizer-make sure to clean it DAILY! Because of the water, it can be a breeding ground for bacteria and do more harm than good if you're not extra careful. I wish you guys the best of luck and health!!

Boston, you know we love you madly,Hear the crowd roar to your sound,Don't blame us if we ever doubt you,You know we couldn't live without you, Tessie, you are the only only only (RED SOX YOU ARE THE ONLY ONES)~Dropkick Murphys

Interests:Ghosts, dancing, writing and tornados. Long baths are a great relaxer! Love meeting people. Going for walks. I love to write poems and short stories. Enjoy meeting new people, making new friends. Getting out of the city for a weekend is my fav thing to do but can't always do it. LOL